Save Energy, Save Money!

While saving energy is always a prudent course of action, in these
financial hard times it becomes increasingly important if you want to make
ends meet and live within a budget. There are a variety of methods
available for improving energy efficiency ranging from turning off
lights when not in use (or not turning them on unless necessary) to
purchasing energy-efficient appliances and properly insulating your home.
Obviously, the up-front expenditure of funds required for energy-saving
activities ranges from zero into the thousands of dollars.

Conduct a Home Energy Audit

To effectively save energy and lower your energy budget, it is imperative
that you begin by conducting a home
energy audit. To perform
a home energy audit, you will assess your usage of electricity, heating and
cooling requirements, and general daily routine for your household. There
is even energy audit software available to assist you with your audit.
Included within any energy audit will be an evaluation of the current
condition of your appliances and energy-consuming devices such as your
heating and air conditioning unit and vehicles you use. Regarding vehicles,
a trip audit becomes an essential part of your overall home energy
audit.

If you are looking for ways to go green, you may want to look into
replacing old, inefficient household devices responsible for high
energy consumption, noting that proper disposal or recycling of appliances
and electronics is a major part of the go green philosophy. If
you are simply attempting to reduce your household budget and appliance
replacement is not practical, there are numerous no-cost or low-cost
energy-saving activities you can pursue — mostly centered around
changing personal energy-consuming habits. The most effective
energy-saving strategy will combine no-cost, low-cost and perhaps some
higher-cost methods for reducing energy consumption.

Government Energy Assistance

If you are on a fixed income or a tight budget, there are energy tax credits
and energy assistance programs, such as LIHEAP, in which you may be
eligible to participate. Federal and state tax credits are often available
for energy-saving upgrades to your home. Energy upgrades eligible for
tax credits may include installation of solar panels or a solar water
heater, replacement of standard windows with double paned windows
(generally considered to be the best energy-efficient windows), installation
of (more efficient) insulation and replacement of worn weather-stripping,
and purchase of an energy saving furnace. Simply giving your car that
much-needed tune-up may substantially reduce gasoline consumption.

Think Green!

Changing your mindset to one of energy conservation is an integral
requirement for saving energy. Engage your entire family in this
activity. Ask your children to participate in your home energy audit
by identifying ways in which the family can collectively save energy and
they, as individuals, can do their part. You’ll be surprised at
some of the novel and innovative solutions your kids will provide!

Saving energy does not have to be painful! Following a family member
around the house turning off lights does not instill a proper attitude
toward energy conservation, and may, in fact, be counterproductive.
Reducing energy costs by reducing energy usage stems from an awareness
by each family member of their energy footprint and what they
can do — without a great deal of effort — to reduce that
footprint.

Saving energy is a worthy goal, but one which requires a specific
motivation. For some people, this goal will be “saving the
Planet,” while for others, it will simply be saving money. Some of
us may even choose to save energy for the purest of reasons: “If
something can be done without using energy, I should save that energy by
not using it.” Do not, however, sacrifice safety in order to
reduce energy usage. If you walk around in a dark house, you could
stub your toe or, worse yet, step on the cat!

Authored by Kenneth L. Anderson.
Original article published 28 September 2009.